


Within

by The_Lich_Queen



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dreamtale (Undertale), Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:54:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 3,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24786547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Lich_Queen/pseuds/The_Lich_Queen
Summary: this is another adopted prompt from Fire's Idea Factory 'Curse Within'
Comments: 20
Kudos: 46





	1. Slience

**Author's Note:**

> this is another adopted prompt from Fire's Idea Factory 'Curse Within'

Inside a large wooden house, many creatures had gathered. Some sat on wooden chairs, others stood by the walls with their arms folded. It had been a bitterly cold night, so the owner of the house, the Town's Head Elder, had set up the brick fireplace. 

The popping and crackling of the fire was the only thing that was heard, all had fallen silent, lost in their thoughts. 

The Elders had decided it was for the best. No one felt safe with that dark creature known as Nightmare, overlooking their town during the nights.

The Elders sat around a table, with the younger men looking on, staring at the object that was brought to them.

A cursed book, a book of dark arts, the forbidden grimoire. 

The Elders had decided to fight the dark evil creature by use of its own energy force. 

The issue they always had was, they did not want to harm their true Keeper, Dream. Because like it or not, their wonderful protector was bound to that wicked creature and should they try and kill it off, they risked injuring or crippling Dream. 

The Elders stood and those gathered took it as a sign that this meeting was over. One by one they left the house, all lost in their own thoughts. 

The plan was made. 

All that was needed was for the stage to be set. 


	2. Animalistic

Nightmare knew the moment the females of the townsfolk came to collect Dream for a slumber party, that something was amiss. 

The silvery skeleton stood on guard, glaring into the darkness. Purple eyelights glow brightly and he could see as clear as if it were day. 

The Tree was up onto a large hill with empty fields surrounding it. To the East was a dark forest, to the West was a grand lake, to the North was tall mountains and to the South the town. 

If anyone came toward his Tree, Nightmare would know. 

Gritting his teeth, he wished Dream were here. The golden skeleton was actually much stronger than him in combat while Nightmare felt he was more intelligent; if he had enough time to plan and analyse then he would be fine. 

His ever trusting happy brother really did not see the darker side of the townsfolk, no matter how many times Nightmare told Dream that they wanted to get rid of him. 

Things had been shaky between the Apple Brothers for the past couple of weeks after Nightmare told Dream that he was hated. 

The moment they stepped foot on the hill Nightmare felt them, the intent to cause infliction was rolling off their SOULs in waves. 

Nightmare rattles slightly and then calms himself, even if he was the weaker of the two Keepers, he was still a Keeper- more entered in line of sense and his orbits widen when he realizes the number that was making their way up the hill. 

All their negativity filled the air, entering into the Dark Apple above and making them grow quickly. 

Nightmare gazes upwards completely stunned. Never had he seen so many Dark Apple formed- unlike the Light Apple which grew quickly. 

The Keeper of the Tree and Dark Apples glances back down- an apple drops, completely full. Another one and another, soon it was raining apples. 

Nightmare's sockets widens, when he sees he was surrounding, the townsfolk staring at him in an almost animalistic manner. The mass excitement of the intent of infliction was clouding their minds and good judgment. 

' _ *there is no way i can defend against all of them. _ ' Nightmare thinks when he sees that they were farming tools; shovels, forks, and pitch axes. A few held long sticks with torches of fire at the end.  The Head Elder steps forwards, glaring hard at him- he mouths of his mouth and starts to list all of Nightmare's 'deeds'. 

Nightmare leans against the Tree, glancing all around him, at the angry faces- some were smiling evilly. 

Then he felt his SOUL drop at the sight of the grimoire that Elder held up and the townsfolks gave a cheer- he listens as the Elder explains the curse that they were going to perform on him. 

' _ *i need to protect the tree! _ ' Nightmare thought numbly, pulling himself away and standing tall, ' _ whatever happens. i can not let anyone have the apples! _ '


	3. Brutality

  
Nightmare fought his hardest. But in the end, it was not enough. 

As he was worn down a well-aimed blow to the back of the skull, made him fall face down on the earth that surrounded his Tree. 

Then came the forks and shovels, slamming against his back- the pickaxes shattered his bones faster and ripping his clothes to shreds. Some even used their fists and feet, they took it in turns to beat him down. 

At one point someone flipped him over and the ruthless event continued. 

Nightmare was not a normal skeleton, he did not dust, so all his silvery bones lay glowing around him. 

It ended. 

Nightmare lay on his back, staring at the night's sky through the leaves of the Tree, the rain of Apples continued to fall- he almost laughed when they started hitting the townsfolks. 

A dark circle appears below and above the broken skeleton, pieces of bones floated up first which was followed by Nightmare himself- he was just floating, his body and mind numb.

'*protect. protect the apples.' Nightmare dull mind continues to think, 'do not let anyone touch the tree. dream is to blame. this is dream's fault. protect the apples.'

"Power of darkness! Appear!" The Elder's voice roars out and from the dark circle, a Void was opened, "Power of darkness! Encase him! Let him sleep for all time!"

Suddenly black darkness drips from above, it also dripped from below- it grew bigger and bigger, wiggling wildly. 

The dark soulless creature pours out, drowning the skeleton and his pieces, covering Nightmare completely. 

Nightmare summons the last of his strength, sending his dark powers up onto the soulless creature, a silent plea for it to save what was most important- it seemed to flinch and then drink up what he had to offer.


	4. Taste

It tasted wonderful.

The thoughtless creature thinks- then was stunned that it knew it thought. 

What am I?

Who am I?

Why am I here?

Where did I come from?

What is happening?

What am I?

The questions flowed faster than its body. 

Skeleton. Bones. 

Words send to him, allowing it to think, to understand, to learn. 

A flash of more thoughts and feelings. 

' _ *protect the apples. _ ' Came a voice that was soft, gentle and had a haunting tone, ' _ let none touch them. _ '

It 'looked' around itself, there were Apples everywhere on the ground and the townsfolk were picking them up and putting them in sacks. 

The Elder was praising himself loudly while others patted him on the back.

It was hard. 

A shell covering the skeleton, making it into a black statue. 

Sleep. 

The skeleton was entering into a deep sleep- its bones were 'floating' in the air with tiny strings of black attached to the statue. 

The skeleton was in pieces, it could hardly be seen as a skeleton anymore. 

' _ *the apples! _ ' Came that same voice. 

And the dark soulless creature knew that the skeleton could not rest until certain things were taken care of. 

The creature of darkness reaches out for an Apple nearby, it hummed with dark energy- it took it in itself. 

The first bite was delicious. 

....


	5. Anachronistic

Drifting on a sea of darkness the Keeper of the Dark Apples felt peace and calm for the first time in a long time. 

Nightmare tries to recall the period when he last knew this kind of contentment.

Images flash through his mind's eyes, of a better time, when it was just himself and Dream. 

A time when they learnt and played together. Before the town had been built or the trade route paths laid. 

It was a happy time. 

Nightmare wishes he could return to that time. When it was just himself and Dream. 

When it was just himself and Dream...

Before Dream betrayed him for those townsfolk. 

Nightmare's purple eyelights glowed- he was suddenly leaning against his Tree. Nothing and no one was around, the torture had ended. Staring out, beyond his Tree were was only darkness, blacker than he had ever seen. 

The Void. 

Nightmare and his Tree was floating in a sea of darkness- there was no hill, the roots hung on nothing. 

Glancing up he sees one by one the Dark Apples appearing on the Tree. A sense of wrongness fills him. 

Nightmare stares and then was something staring back. A lone eye that was a deep teal in colour. 

" _ *hello. who are you? _ " Nightmare questions it kindly, he felt no malicious intent coming from it, only an odd sense of yearning.

" ** darkness. corruption. concealment. ** " It spoke with many voices, making Nightmare raise a brow at it, " ** pure evil. because i am born from the dark void. ** " 

Then he smiles at it softly, "* _ do you think the 'dark' means corruption or evil? _ "

" ** yes. always. each time i was summoned. they call me this. i remember. i never used to remember. yet. i do now. ** " It told him, making his heart go out to the creature, Nightmare understood what he meant, " ** i am feared. ** "

" _ *i understand. _ **_ " _ ** __ Nightmare said as such, smiling warmly,  _ "i am the keeper of the dark apples. but that does not mean i am evil or corrupt. _ " 

It continues to stare at him. 

Nightmare suddenly understood just what this creature was, it was the curse. The thing that the Elder had been summoning to use on him. 

The eye flickered and Nightmare felt like it was seeing through him. 

" _ *the night is dark. but it is not evil. _ " Nightmare says reaching out for it, " _ listen. just because you are born in darkness does not mean corruption. creatures can not choose how they are born. but we can choose how we live _ ." the dark curse creature came forward, " _ i chose to give my life for what i was born for. to protect the apples. if they think i am evil for that? then so be it. and you. you have to decide how to live from now on. _ "

" ** *i am a curse. i am your curse. ** " The creature confirms what he was thinking, its tone had changed, it sounded like Nightmare, an older Nightmare but darker, " ** do you not hate me? ** " 

" _ *this is not your fault _ ." Nightmare told his curse, " _ i do not hate you for something you were born to do. _ " 

The creature came over to him, black muck which seemed to be liquid, smoke, mist and solid all at once. It continues to move and flow yet never losing it volume.

" _ *creatures fear what they do not understand. _ " Nightmare explains sadly, " _ and that fear can turn into hate if they are not willing to look deeper. _ " 

Nightmare sees that it was reaching for him too and gently took hold of it, bringing it into a loose hug. 

" ** *i am not scary? ** " The dark creatures asks him, looking at him with that strange eye, " ** you would not lie to me. would you? you would not abandon me? will you let me stay?" **

" _ *you are not scary. _ " Nightmare answers with a small laugh, " _ and i shall not lie to you. from what i already gathered. i can not part from you until the curse completes its course. _ " 

" ** *...if you had the choice. would you allow me to stay? ** " It questions him once more. 

" _ *you are always welcome to stay with me. _ " Nightmare told it warmly, it was nice to have someone other than Dream to talk to, " _ you and i are the same. and creatures of darkness should stay together. we are the only ones who understand each other. _ "

" ** *then take it. my beautiful curse. ** " The dark creature said wrapping around Nightmare, encasing him inside the darkness. 

Nightmare closes his orbits and fell into a deep dreamless sleep. 


	6. Apocalyptic

Within the darkness, shattered and broken bones lay. 

It had eaten every Dark Apple and felt so good. 

It knew it was more than just a curse. 

Black tentacles zoom from its back and impaired the first living creatures. 

The screams of terror filled the air, making it laugh out- his dear SOUL was wrong, it was evil, it was enjoying their despair far too much for it to be any other else. 

The creature of darkness viewed the living skeleton called Nightmare to be its SOUL now since he was now its core. When eating, everything went through Nightmare first before sending the power to it, just like a SOUL would. 

"*Nightmare!" Came a voice, turning he sees for the first time his SOUL's brother, the one called Dream, from the remnants of memories, he knew that the golden skeleton had chosen the townsfolk's word over his own brother. 

** '*look at this creature of light.' ** It growls to itself, ' ** can not even recognize his own brother. ** ' he knew why; while it could change its form to anything it wanted, the Dark Curse had taken its SOUL's form, meaning, he looked like Nightmare if he was covered in muck. 

Dream suddenly looks up, causing it to do the same.

On the Tree was one single Light Apple, all the rest turned to Dark Apples because of the negative intent that the townsfolks came there with. 

Then it drops and both leap forward to grab it- because Dream was nearer he managed to get it first. 

Now came a strange staring match.

" ** *what will you do now? ** " The dark creature him, forming a smirk, " ** to save them. you must kill me. ** " 

Dream looks around at the bloodbath. 

"*Nightmare. Brother. Please. Let us talk!" Dream tries as he steps forward and rose a hand to reach for him- this was not the hand the dark creature wanted.

" ** *wrong answer. ** " It growls out darkly, the tentacles on its back fused together and took the strange of an axe, " ** and this thing can not tie nightmare down any longer! ** "

"*NO!" Dream screams in terror as the axe swung at the Tree. With the power of the Dark Apples, it was easy to chop it down with three powerful strikes. 

The pair watch, one in horror the other glee. 

The Tree bent over and fell sideways, seemingly slow due to how big and tall it was, hitting the ground with a large boom that rocked the ground. 

It looks back at the golden skeleton and grins, then looks down at the last Light Apple. Dream gasps and fell it to his chest. 

And what must have been a moment of insanity, Dream ate the Apple while crying. 

' ** *good. how the brothers are not bonded.' ** It thinks with a dark chuckle,  ** 'through nightmare's memories. i can see that the tree was their soul. and it bound them. without the tree. nightmare is free from it and from dream. ** ' 

The dark creature moves closer and Dream stares ahead of himself, clearly stunned at what it just did. 

" ** *and now. nightmare shall be free from you. ** " The Dark creature says, " ** and i will give you a curse. similar to my soul. sleep forever. ** "

It lashes forward and grabs hold of Dream's neck, the first touch and the skeleton's bones and even clothes started to change. Surprisingly, he did not fight back, just allowed this to happen while staring at it in the eye. 

" ** *you can never understand me. ** " It growls darkly, turning the golden skeleton in a cold lifeless statue. Removing its hand it looks around, its eye glowed with pure hate, " ** i shall destroy this miserable world. every living thing will meet their end by my hand. ** "

The apocalypse started for a universe called Dream Tale. 


	7. Fear

It or he as he identifies as now, was alone. 

The creature of darkness spent thirty years destroying the whole world. 

There was nothing left but an empty hole. And the only one who could feel that was the one sleeping within him. 

Nightmare. 

He grins grimly, those who had enough breath to speak when slaughtering them, often called him that Nightmare. 

At first, he hated it. Any that screamed that name was not worthy to even say it. 

And now he longed to hear it.

The only things he could get from the dreamer were echoes of thoughts and memories. 

And over time, he allowed them to call him that name: **Nightmare**. 

**Nightmare** hugs himself, leaning against the place of his true birth and the stump of the Tree. The Dream statue had been taken away by some 'freedom' fighters while he went to another day and hid it somewhere. 

Suddenly **Nightmare** was afraid. 

He was afraid of never freeing Nightmare, of being alone forever and... of the dark. 

Nightmare claimed that creatures are fearful of things that do not understand. But **Nightmare** knew what lay in the dark and felt it was waiting for a chance to drag him back down. 

"*hehe. look at this place." A voice says making him freeze- it was the strangest voice he had ever heard. It went up and down in pitch, it paused in place and jumped again, and the volume rose and lowed. 

Turning **Nightmare** stares at a skeleton, it was facing away from him, a little in front, seemingly staring at the blackened sky. From here he could see a black skull, red arms and legs. They were a black jacket with a red jumper and black jogging pants with red socks and black slippers. 

"*and there're only two souls remaining." They continue and red sockets turned to look at him, one socket was half closed while the other was wide; inside the damaged looking one was a grey eyelight and the wide one was a swirl of yellow with blue inside and inside that was a black dot.

Then they reach up and rip at their sockets and long strings were pulled out- blue, like the same colour of those tear like marking on its cheeks. 

**Nightmare** got up in a flash and the skeleton grins insanely, with those sickening yellow teeth. 

Suddenly Nightmare was bound in strings and raised up in the air- his SOULs were captured in front of him! 

The skeleton seemed to flicker, a look of hurt passed their face for a moment. And **Nightmare** realized that were was some sleeping deep within this creature, much like how Nightmare sleeps within him. 

"*you won't be needing this." They say and pull the SOULs closer to themselves, "hehe. i thought ya would be harder to fight. but look. i got ya at ya weakness moment."

' ***i should keep them talking.** ' **Nightmare** thinks as he growls darkly at them, ' **just until i find a way to escape.** ' 

The skeleton steps closed, their sockets narrowed at him. 

" ***my weakness moments? how would you know this?** " **Nightmare** questions as calmly as he could, glaring at him. 

The skeleton grins and flickers. 

"*i've been watching ya. of course." They told him in a happy childlike tone, "ya think i'm dumb enough to come and get ya while i know nothing about an enemy? ha! i'm smart! i'm beyond smart!"

"*so you have been watching me." **Nightmare** says studying him with interest, trying to peel back the mental wall layer of this creature's mind, a power he gets from Nightmare. 

With a grin, he focuses his power on this task and then suddenly it was cut off and it was like he had to start from the beginning but the wall was different. 

The skeleton lets out a loud snort.

"*ha! i'm smart! there's no way i would attack without knowing everything about you! I know ya stronger than me!" The skeleton said happily, "and maybe i should tell ya my name. so ya can stop referring to me as 'the skeleton'."

**Nightmare** frowns, not understanding what the skeleton went by this. 

"*i am error sans." The newly dubbed Error Sans told him with another loud snort, "and i destroy useless glitches. just like ya."

"*'glitches'?" **Nightmare** asks with a deep frown, then shook his head, that did matter. 

Then the strange monster stares at him.

"*ya coming with me." Error Sans announce and opens a white wall under him and the creature of darkness fell through, staring in shock at the grinning yellow teeth and glowing red sockets. 


End file.
